Delta X5 drum sander - help please

[Betsy Yocum]

I'm hoping for some tips on the Delta X5 drum sander. I'm having trouble keeping the belts from slipping. When I wrap the belts onto the drum - they are good and tight. I know they stretch a bit when you first start out. So I usually let it run a minute or two then check the belt for tightness, I check often (about every 5-10 minutes) after that. Regardless I end up with belts ripping off and not only make a racket but this last time it actually bent the front roller. I generally don't take more than a 1/32" off at a time, so I'm pretty sure I'm not stressing the belts. The last time this happened I was sanding pine, so its not like I'm using a very hard wood. I'm also pretty sure that the problem is not in the clips that hold the ends of the paper as whenever the belt breaks it's never at the clips, rather it generally breaks 5 or 6 inches from the ends.

I'm going to have to replace my roller - and hoping you can give me some advise on how to avoid this trouble again.

I'd also like to know if anyone else has frustration when wrapping the belts. Seems like the belts are just barely long enough. I dread changing belts, but because mine break so often, I do it a lot. I must be missing a technique somewhere - your help would be appreciated.

thanks in advance for your help.

[Bruce Page]

Hi Betsy, I'm away from my Delta DS right now so I can't varify this but as I recall 1/32" is about 1/2 turn on the crank.
If that is correct then you are trying to take too heavy of a cut. I generally only go 1/4 of a turn per pass. If I'm using a course grit like 60 or 80, I might take a smidge more than 1/4 turn.
When I first got my DS, after they first came out, I was taking 1/2 turns and blowing the sanding belts left & right. Since backing off to 1/4 of a turn, I rarely blow a belt.

[Ralph Steffey]

I have to agree totally with what Bruce said I have the 16/32 performax but same basic machine and 1/8 to 1/4 turn per pass is max cut the machine will take without breaking belts or tripping the overload switch. Try takeing lighter passes and see if it doesn't help.

[G.C. Wagner]

I agree with Ralph and Bruce. I can only take about 1/8 turn at a pass on my 3 year old Delta. I'm pretty careful 'cause I don't like to change the belts either.

Gerry

[Joseph N. Myers]

Betsy,

This must be a first --- four answers to a question and they are the same. Actually three answers and mine being the fourth. Yes, 1/32 is way too much. Cut it back to 1/64 and I think you'll see a big difference.

I have a Performax 16/32 and the instructions say:

"A good rule of thumb when sanding with grits finer than 80 is to lower the drum so it contacts the workpiece but drum still can be rotated by hand. When using grits coarser than 80 grit, you can lower the drum slightly more". (Note: they do not mentioned equal to 80 grit but I would use the "coarser that 80").

I personally put the board through without the sand paper touching, start the machine, lower paper until it just start touching the wood and go a little deeper then that.

Three things that were not mentioned:

1. Make sure to clean the sand paper with one of those erasers (sandpaper cleaning stick) --- I clean mine every couple of minutes or so.

2. When feeding the wood into the machine, "... even a slight offset angle of the stock will provide for more effective stock removal. The optimum feeding angle for stock removal is about 60 degrees". I end-up not doing this that frequence because of 3. following.

3. When sanding pine, or any wood that has pitch in it, be careful of that building up on the sand paper and leaving a "pitch" mark on other boards going through the drum sander.

I've both heard of and read in my instructions that to clean these belts, "cloth-backed abrasives can be cleaned by soaking in paint thinner or mineral spirits for 20 minutes to 1 hour, then using a brush to remove any build-up or burns. Dry the abrasive strips completely before reuse."

After this post, I'm going out to my garage to try it --- I've gone through too many sanding strips not to try something to save the strips and corresponding money.

Regards, Joe

[Betsy Yocum]

Thanks for all your replies - I really thought a 32nd was not that much - I'll back off a bit.

Now how about some tips on getting the darned belt on without breaking a sweat and my ban on those four letter words!! :rolleyes:

Also - I know the stout of heart will use a planer without rollers to avoid snipe - since my front roller is bent, is it safe to sand without it until I get a replacement part?

I just love this forum - so much more informative and helpful than others.:D

Thanks again
Betsy

[John Miliunas]

Thanks for all your replies - I really thought a 32nd was not that much - I'll back off a bit.

Now how about some tips on getting the darned belt on without breaking a sweat and my ban on those four letter words!! :rolleyes:

Also - I know the stout of heart will use a planer without rollers to avoid snipe - since my front roller is bent, is it safe to sand without it until I get a replacement part?

I just love this forum - so much more informative and helpful than others.:D

Thanks again
Betsy

As the others have suggested, I concur on the 1/32nd being a bit "heavy handed". I've got the X5 and, knock on wood, but I've yet to blow a belt. Yes, I take a very, very conservative and time-consuming approach to its use, but get nice results. I've not had an issue with getting the belts on, either. I simply start from the right side, line it up and just keep going. It may not be too big an issue for me, as I've got some pretty good-sized paws, which helps in holding the drum while snapping in the last of the tongue into the spring-clip.

What I really am responding to here is: "I know the stout of heart will use a planer without rollers to avoid snipe..." So fine...I may have been hiding under a rock somewhere, but in all the reading I've done on avoiding snipe, this is a new one on me! May I ask as to where you found this bit of information? I'm having a very, VERY hard time envisioning this one! :eek: Thanks! :cool:

[Joseph N. Myers]

I have a Performax 16-32 but the operation, in principle should be the same as the Delta X5. According to the Performax instructions:

"Eliminating "Snipe Marks"

Snipe marks result from too much tension roller pressure and are identified as a visible line running across the width of the board and located approximately 2 1/2" from the end of the board. If the snipe mark occurs on the leading end of the board, adjust outfeed tension roller. If a snipe mark occurs on the trailing end of the board, adjust the infeed tension roller."

This is pretty much the same advise they give you for planers for snipes. Other ways to reduce snipes is to (1) increase the length of both the input/output tables, (2) feed boards at an angle, (3) cut the boards longer and cut off the snipes and (4) butt boards at the beginning and end of the boards.

Until you get your replacement parts, you may want to try numbers (3) and (4) above.

Regards, Joe

[Betsy Yocum]

John - the planer without rollers has been told to me by several of the guys I hang around with. They do it to avoid the snipe on the expensive hardwoods. Personally, I think it insanely dangerous - but they do it - of course, these are the same folks who swear you don't need to use a saw gaurd either! I would never dream of using a planer without the rollers - I like being able to go to work everyday with all my extremities.

Any clues on how to get the belts on if I don't have large paws?

Joe thanks for the advise also. I'll give 3 and 4 a try soon.

I will also try to take much smaller passes.

I really appreciate this forum - all of you guys and gals have been terrific.

Betsy:D

[John Miliunas]

John - the planer without rollers has been told to me by several of the guys I hang around with. They do it to avoid the snipe on the expensive hardwoods. Personally, I think it insanely dangerous - but they do it - of course, these are the same folks who swear you don't need to use a saw gaurd either! I would never dream of using a planer without the rollers - I like being able to go to work everyday with all my extremities.

Any clues on how to get the belts on if I don't have large paws?



Yikes! :eek: Hey, I don't much care to go to work every day WITH all my extremities intact, much less without! :D That whole concept just gives me the heeby-geebies! :o No thanks! I'm with you....The rollers are STAYING right where those folks at the factory installed them! :)

Can't help you with the "paws". Guess I was "blessed"! And, were it not for the arthritis on BOTH thumbs, it would even be more of a blessing! But I get along and, I think that when you start reeling back a bit on the amount you're taking off per swipe, you'll have less belt stretching, less breakage and fewer changes! Good luck with it! :cool:

[Jim Becker]

I believe the reference to a planer without rollers is more about a stationary machine that has the searated rollers retracted (or maybe removed) so that a very light cut can be taken. Unlike most of the so-called "portable" planers that have rubber rollers, the big boys all have metal stock moving systems that will leave marks on the wood if you don't take a heavy enough cut. My FS-350 is like that...I can't take a "really skim" cut with it like I could with the Delta 22-560 I used to own. Those tell-tale marks appear in that case and are not easy to sand off. Frankly, this is one of the reasons I have a drum sander on order...

[John Miliunas]

I believe the reference to a planer without rollers is more about a stationary machine that has the searated rollers retracted (or maybe removed) so that a very light cut can be taken. Unlike most of the so-called "portable" planers that have rubber rollers, the big boys all have metal stock moving systems that will leave marks on the wood if you don't take a heavy enough cut. My FS-350 is like that...I can't take a "really skim" cut with it like I could with the Delta 22-560 I used to own. Those tell-tale marks appear in that case and are not easy to sand off. Frankly, this is one of the reasons I have a drum sander on order...

OK, I understand the part about leaving marks. I understand the part about the excess pressure of the rollers being largely responsible for snipe. What I don't understand is how in the blazes does one then safely feed the stock past those multi-thousand rpm cutters?! :eek: Even if you could feed the board in at a steady rate, wouldn't there be gobs of chatter and such without the stock being held to the platter in some way? Sorry, but I'm really confused here! :confused: :cool:

[Betsy Yocum]

John - I don't know how they do it safely either. I have never been brave enough to watch one of the guys do it. I'm especially cautious since the first time I changed my blades on my planer and did not have them set just right. I have a spot in my wall that if you look close enough you can see that its been repaired. Talk about scary - that thing can really spit out a piece of wood if the blades are not set right!

Betsy:)